Currently there are two known methods for administering phototherapy for the treatment of various phototherapy treatment conditions of the mouth including, but not limited to Oral Mucositis (OM), low level laser therapy and light emitting diode (LED) arrays. Oral Mucositis is one of the most common and highly significant toxicities of cancer therapy.
Barriers to the acceptance of low level laser therapy include the cost of laser equipment and the labor intensiveness. Additionally, there are problems with interoperator variability and the need for specialized training. Also patients receiving this form of treatment are required to hold their mouths open for long periods of time which is uncomfortable and becomes extremely painful as the Mucositis progresses.
LED arrays utilize a plurality of LEDs to irradiate larger areas of tissue externally. The light from these arrays penetrates the skin to stimulate the mucosal membrane. LED arrays have the advantage of irradiating a large surface area, are simpler to implement than spot laser systems, and are more comfortable to the patient. The main disadvantages of using LED arrays for administering phototherapy treatment is that they lack dose control because they must transilluminate cheek tissue and have difficulty reaching all regions of the oral cavity, including the tonsillar and palatal regions which are highly susceptible to OM. Also variability in tissue thickness between different buccal regions and different patients makes it impossible to accurately monitor and control the dose of light administered to the mucosa.